Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is one of the hottest topics for web developers. After all, finding the right SEO strategy is crucial for staying afloat in Google’s sea of irrelevance. It isn’t simple to find the right key, though, as rules keep changing all the time. That’s why companies are dedicated to developing and improving SEO strategies for other businesses.
One Hat for Each Occasion
If you’ve been reading about SEO marketing lately, you’ve probably come across terms such as white, black and grey hats. Unsurprisingly, we aren’t talking about actual hats here but different kinds of strategies. A White hat strategy plays by the rules, while black hat tactics keep trying to break them. Grey tactics, you’ve guessed it right, fall somewhere in between. Let’s take a look at white hat, grey hat and black hat SEO definitions.
White Hat
A white hat strategy promotes only valuable content with labelled and traceable images. It also includes references and links of high quality, in content with impeccable grammar and spelling. Page titles are always unique and relevant to the content they lead us.
Black Hat
Black hat tactics include posting duplicate content, unnaturally placed keywords, and invisible words. Pages using this tactic can also redirect users to unrelated pages and include irrelevant links.
Grey Hat
Grey hat tactics are tricky but aren’t illegal. Technically, they aren’t unlawful because no rule prohibits them yet. However, the situation can change with every change in Google’s policy. If a grey hat tactic gets not permitted in one of those changes, websites using them will be treated as black hats.
Myth-Busting
The complex and mutable nature of Google’s algorithms has fuelled several myths over the years. It’s time to debunk them and step up your game. Check the most common myths below.
About Google’s Algorithm
It might not be easy to understand Google’s algorithm. Still, it’s difficult to accuse it of lack of transparency. Anyone can access the Google Search Guidelines and learn more about it. There’s also a wealth of YouTube videos, articles, and blog posts talking extensively on the subject.
About Link-Building
Link-building has always been an essential part of gaining online authority. Links that are referenced on high-authority websites also rise in authority. This practice has been under scrutiny since many users began to abuse it, using link farms and other spammy tricks. Nevertheless, legitimate link-building is still welcome.
New Content vs Old Content
Another common myth about SEO is that content needs to be new to rank higher in searches. Although Google’s algorithm tackles duplicate content, there’s nothing wrong with republishing articles from the past. Although it’s essential to keep your content updated, its age will only matter for specific kinds of searches. Reposting relevant content from years ago won’t make your hat any darker.
Long-Tail Keywords
A long-tail keyword is an expression often used to define the combination of three or more keywords. Yet, this definition is incorrect. A long-tail keyword is a low-query keyword that doesn’t rank as well as the top ones. Indeed, these keywords are typically on the lower curve of the graphics or the “tail” of the graphics.
Meta Tags
Some people believe that meta tags are worthless for SEO strategies. However, there is no evidence to back up such claims. Google does use meta tags to assess websites, although the effectiveness of such tags can’t be measured with precision. Title tags are recommended, in any case.
Leave Your Hat On
If you want to reposition your website on Google, you’ll need to create an SEO strategy that suits your needs. While some argue that it can take ages to build authority with white hat tactics, black hat tactics can be a step backwards. It requires a lot of knowledge to move around the grey area of Google Search Guidelines. Consider investing in professional guidance for this task.
